مقاله سال ۲۰۱۶

Technology convergence, fusion, merging, cross-fertilization, and hybridization are all terms used to address the phenomenon of technology overlap which Curran (2013) defines as the blurring of the boundaries between disjoint areas of science, technology, markets, or industries. The topic of technology fusion began to attract attention following Kodama’s (1992) seminal piece, and evidence of the higher value associated with interdisciplinary research and cross-industry innovation. At the invention level, converging fields appear to be characterized by greater novelty and more breakthrough results (Schumpeter, 1939; Fleming, 2001; Hacklin, 2007; No and Park, 2010; Nemet and Johnson, 2012; Karvonen and Kässi, 2013); at the firm and sector levels, previous studies on merged fields observe better performance and a relevant impact on industry evolution since technology fusion sustains and revamps innovation trends and generates new trajectories (No and Park, 2010; Kim and Kim, 2012; Curran, 2013; Hacklin et al., 2013). Industry is evolving driven by the faster growth of the merging fields, and the disruptive elements of the products based on the converged technologies (Carnabuci, 2012; Kim et al., 2014).

Technology convergence began to attract attention in the 1980s and even more in the 1990s when diffusion and overlaps among robotics, computing, and information and telecommunication technologies began to have a significant impact on the products and strategies of firms in several industries from information and communication technology (ICT) to consumer electronics, to mechatronics (Kodama, 1992; Lind, 2004). Since then, several fields have been characterized by fusion dynamics (Pennings and Puranam, 2001; Curran, 2013). Telecommunications, ICT, and electronics spread to and merged with several other sectors (e.g., optoelectronics; innovations in packaging; printable electronics; RFID – radio frequency identification – tags; smart-phone, smart-television and smart-home). Chemicals combined with informatics, textiles and materials and these innovations have been competing with agricultural products. The pharmaceuticals industry collaborations have resulted in the emergence of biotechnology, bioinstrumentation and nanotechnology, nutraceuticals and functional foods, cosmeceuticals, and in services (e.g. health care management, insurance and banking) and the so-called “TIME” industry, based on overlaps among telecoms, information technology, media and entertainment (Lind, 2004; Hacklin et al., 2013). In some cases, a specific product has supported the development of other fields (Nemet and Johnson, 2012) such as steam engines, semiconductors, lasers and synthetic fibers.

Merged fields are usually characterized by opportunities for firm growth based on successful capture and management of the available novel technologies, and competition with incumbents from new sectors (Kim and Kim, 2012). Companies that lack competences in these new fields may be forced to rely on external partners in cross-industry alliances or via a merger and acquisition (M&A) process (Lind, 2004). Definition of the corresponding firm strategies benefits significantly from an increased understanding of the role of technology innovation and the dynamics of the convergence process, especially in the case of disruptive trajectories (Bonnet and Yip, 2009).